The French luxury group Kering SA, which owns Puma SE, reportedly explored a move to sell its share of the Germany-based footwear brand earlier this year.

Kering owns about 86 percent of the company’s shares after acquiring control over Puma in 2007, and according to Business of Fashion, the recent look to sell comes after five years of attempting to invigorate the brand’s sales numbers. Puma, whose U.S. headquarters are located in Massachusetts, is valued at $3.1 billion, based on remaining traded shares.

Kering, however, could have changed their tune since the beginning of the year. Earlier this fall, Puma launched its “Forever Faster” campaign, starring brand ambassadors like Usain Bolt and Mario Balotelli; this collaboration helped increase footwear sales for the first time in seven quarters.

And on Tuesday, news was announced that Rihanna has signed on with the brand to become its creative designer. These actions both signal a move toward a shared sports- and lifestyle-focused reorientation of the brand, and the campaign has already paid off. It’s too soon to tell how the acquisition of Rihanna’s creative talents will lend itself to the brand, but the news has put Puma in the spotlight of the fashion world.

Further, according to Business of Fashion, Kering Chairman Francois-Henri Pinault believed the brand should have a sports and lifestyle division, but that wouldn’t come into place until he’d successfully revived it. Puma competes directly in the footwear market with Nike and Adidas, and has struggled to keep up with those major brands. However, the recent big-profile moves could signal the group’s faith in the company.

When looking to sell its shares in Puma earlier this year, Kering reportedly approached funds from the Middle East and Asia. It’s not clear at this point, however, as we enter 2015, if the group still plans to sell.

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